Person of interest in murder dies after self-inflicted gunshot wound

A man the Wichita Falls Police Department identified as a person of interest in a murder Wednesday has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, a spokesperson for the department said Saturday afternoon.

Sgt. John Spragins said Damon Jason McLellan, who was identified as a person detective wanted to speak to regarding the death of 69-year-old Madonna McLellan in the 4100 block of Thomas Avenue Wednesday, died sometime before midnight Friday night. No other information was available.

Spragins said an off-duty officer recognized a person fitting Damon McLellan's description in the area of the old fire station No. 8 in the area of Maplewood and Elmwood at about 5:15 p.m. on Friday. Several other officers arrived on the scene to assist.

"When they walked up to him, he kind of took off on foot for a second and then pulled a gun out and shot himself in the head," Spragins said.

McLellan was transported to United Regional Health Care System with life-threatening injuries, Spragins said, where he later died.

Wichita Falls Police are investigating the murder of a 69-year-old woman at a home in the 4100 block of Thomas in the Faith Village neighborhood.(Photo: Chris Walker)

Spragins said that as far as the investigation showed, McLellan lived at the residence on Thomas Avenue where Madonna McLellan was murdered. He said he was sure how the two might have been related.

He added that no officers used their firearm during the incident.

A call to police came in Wednesday morning at about 10:13 a.m. Wednesday of a dead person in the 4100 block of Thomas Avenue. The caller indicated to 911 that foul play appeared to be part of the incident.

The WFPD initially began investigating the incident as an unattended death, but that changed Thursday when the department announced they had changed it to a homicide.

Damon Jason McLellan was named a person of interest Friday morning.

Spragins said the investigation into Madonna McLellan's death will continue until the process is complete.